Ketubah Graphia custom ketubah featured at South African wedding
Here’s a short video highlighting one of Ketubah Graphia’s custom ketubahs at Tracy and Robert’s wedding in Cape Town, South Africa.
Ketubah Graphia at premier New York bridal fair
On November 15th, Ketubah Graphia will be featured at The Wedding Salon annual exclusive one-day event for brides-to-be in Manhattan. A variety of ketubah designs and gifts for couples’ family, friends and special wedding guests will be on view. For more information about The Wedding Salon and other participating vendors visit www.weddingsalon.com. Look forward to seeing you there.
What’s with all the different spellings for “ketubah”?
Ketubah, ketuba, kettubbah, ketubbah, kattuba, kettubah…. Whichever way you spell it, a search on the internet for any of the various spellings should yield results. It’s like Chanukah (or Channuka, Hannukkah, Hanukkah, Hanuka….you get the picture). As you can see, Ketubah Graphia has chosen one consistent spelling. It just makes it easier that way.
Ketubah Graphia is your international source for custom ketubahs
A few South African tastemakers, however, including Nadine Rubin (former Elle South Africa editor) as well as Tracy Stern (Ogilvy & Mather Associate) and their now-husbands recently ordered ketubot, so perhaps the trend will catch on soon. Meanwhile, I am plenty busy making ketubot for the rest of the world and still hope the ketubah as a lasting, ritual object to be framed and enjoyed daily eventually catches on here.
(And yes…in between ketubahs, KG is busy watching and attending World Cup games.)
KG now offering additional gifts for special wedding guests or any time
Looking to honor special guests to your wedding, thank your parents, grandparents or anyone who has instilled in you a love of family and companionship? Ketubah Graphia now offers several ways for you to do so.
Add to your ketubah order one or more of the following handwritten gift texts. Ink colors and papercut details can be customized according to each recipient or as a complimentary work of art suggestive of your own ketubah. You may also write and supply me with your own text, up to 200 words, for an even more personalized gift.
Poetic Phrases: These Hebrew phrases are cut from and mounted separately on 18″ x 6″ watercolor paper with the translated English hand-calligraphed in a color of your choice underneath. (add $150.00) You can also supply your own choice of phrase no longer than 28 characters (including spaces) in total.
Home Blessings: Hand-calligraphed on 9″ x 11″ watercolor paper available in Hebrew, English or both. (add $100).
Parents/Grandparents Blessing: Hand-calligraphed on 9″ x 11″ watercolor paper available in Hebrew, English or both. (add $150).
Anniversary texts: Choose from several beautiful anniversary texts or send a copy of an original ketubah to be recreated as a new work of art honoring years together. (Pricing is same as any ketubah.)
Ketubah Graphia spreads the joy
A percentage of all our sales are donated to the following organizations whose missions are a direct reflection of the values and perspectives represented by Ketubah Graphia. When you order a ketubah from Ketubah Graphia, you have the choice of deciding towards which organization the percentage of your order will be donated. Here’s a bit of information about each. Follow the links to their websites for more.
Human Rights Campaign
HRC envisions an America where gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people are ensured equality and embraced as full members of the American family at home, at work and in every community. www.hrc.org
National Art Education Association
The NAEA promotes art education through professional development, service, advancement of knowledge, and leadership. www.naea-reston.org
Foundation for Jewish Culture
The FJC invests in creative individuals in order to nurture a vibrant and enduring Jewish identity, culture and community. www.jewishculture.org
Ketubah Graphia at Brooklyn Bridal Fair
This Sunday, March 7th, at Brooklyn Academy of Music, Ketubah Graphia will be participating in the first annual Brooklyn Bridal Fair with a great line-up of talented vendors in the industry, all based in Brooklyn. I will be there with samples of Jewish wedding contracts and non-Jewish calligraphed vows, and to meet with brides-to-be to discuss creating the perfect original work of art to honor their specific ceremony. I hope to see you there.
BAM, Brooklyn’s leading cultural institution and an international leader in performance arts, will host the show on March 7th in partnership with Great Performances, its exclusive caterer, and supported by Edible Brooklyn, the voice of the new food movement in the boro.
| FLORISTS Fleurs Bella Opalia Flowers Blossom and Branch Root Stock & Quade CAKE MAKERS WEDDING PLANNERS KETUBAH DESIGNER EVENT DESIGN TRAVEL AGENCY |
WEDDING BLOGGER 100 Layer Cake PUBLICATIONS VIDEO JEWELRY CALLIGRAPHER/INVITATIONS OFFICIANTS FOOD & WINE |
CHOCOLATIERS Fine and Raw NuNu Chocolates Tumbador Chocolate PHOTOGRAPHERS VENUES/HOTELS SPA/SALON WEDDING BAND …Don’t miss it! |
Help! We love the idea of a ketubah but we’re not Jewish
Many people ask me if they can have a ketubah even if they are not Jewish. They love the idea and ritual of a marriage contract or a way to artistically document and hang on the wall their commitment to one another.
Ketubah Graphia says, “Of course!”
Ketubah Graphia has many text options, can customize texts, or work with any wording a couple provides (600 words or less total).
You can choose from any of the texts on the website such as the Interfaith, English-only Wedding Blessing, Secular Humanistic, Equal Partners, Traditional Apache Wedding Blessing, write your own, provide me with a copy of your vows or other wording from your ceremony, poetic verses meaningful to you, or any other text and I’ll turn it into a contemporary handmade design that marks your occasion and commitment to one another.
Anyone can have a “ketubah” that reflects a combination of their personal beliefs and vows to one another.
A custom ketubah means your direct line to the artist and design process
In this day and age of automated everything it can be refreshing to speak directly to a person, especially when ordering something as personal and meaningful as a ketubah. Customers and potential customers have direct access to me at Ketubah Graphia when they want to ask questions, find out more information, place an order, or give feedback.
It is one of the best parts of my job to be able to work directly with couples preparing for their union to one another. I especially enjoy having people visit my studio in Brooklyn and become part of the process of creating their custom ketubah. It feels very meaningful when my work is a significant aspect of that celebration and commitment. Working closely with every couple, local or distant, I try to make sure the finished product is exactly as they hoped—or better yet, beyond expectation.
I am also available to speak to officiants to make sure that every detail of your personalized text is just right and matches your particular ceremony and sentiments.
Feel free to contact me by phone at 646.812.0584 or by e-mail at aliza@ketubahgraphia.com, or better yet, stop by the studio. I look forward to meeting you soon.
Ink, Paper, Scissors: The materials behind your custom, handmade ketubah
An artist’s materials are of the utmost importance, especially when creating a work of art meant to endure at least as long as your lasting relationship. Ketubah Graphia seeks the best quality and most environmentally conscious materials possible.
Paper – I’ve tried a plethora (love that word) of papers for calligraphy but in the end, Arches watercolor paper wins. I use cold-pressed, 140 lb. in either size 16” x 20” or 22” x 30”. It’s manufactured from pure cotton fiber, and Arches papers have been mold-made in the same papermill in France since 1492, so you know they’re doing something right. And the deckled edges are a key added touch. The durability and fact that Arches paper is acid-free, pH-neutral, gelatin-sized, and air-dried is important for a document as important as a ketubah.
Inks – I favor FW Artist Inks from Daler-Rowney. I love how the inks lay down so smoothly and consistently on the top of the watercolor and the range of both opaque and pearlescent inks available.
Pen Nibs – I use Speedball nibs #C4 and #C5, depending on the size of the text I’m writing
Glue – For the papercut details of my ketubot, I use Lineco Neutral Ph Adhesive. It dries transparent, creates a permanent bond and most importantly is archival.
All ketubahs include a permanent, archival ink pen for signing during your ceremony and a white eraser for erasing pencil lines for signatures. These are the materials recommended by Ketubah Graphia for archival purposes and to avoid ink fading over time or negatively affecting the paper in any way.